FIFA's official ticket and hospitality partner MATCH has denied its English director Ray Whelan is 'a fugitive' from Brazilian police.

Detectives declared Whelan as a fugitive when he disappeared from his hotel via a service entrance minutes before police investigating illegal World Cup ticket sales arrived to re-arrest him.

MATCH said in a statement: 'We do not believe that the term "fugitive" is appropriate under the circumstances as he is presently with his lawyer.

'Fugitive':
Ray Whelan, the director of MATCH services, is said to have fled
through the service entrance of the lavish Copacabana Palace an hour
before Brazilian police were set to re-arrest him

VIDEO Hospitality director labelled 'fugitive' by police

'We understand that any accused in Brazil has the fundamental right to resist a coercion that he believes to be arbitrary and illegal.

'Ray Whelan has not yet been granted the due process of a fair trial. MATCH remains absolutely confident that any charges raised against Ray will be rebutted.'

Police have received recordings of mobile phone conversations between Whelan and an Algerian, Lamine Fofana, who is alleged to be the leader of the ticket touting ring, negotiating the sale of hospitality packages for 25,000 US dollars (£14,605) each in cash.

Centre
of probe: Brazilian police have described Whelan, pictured being taken
for questioning on Monday, as the 'facilitator' of the scandal which saw
tickets being sold for vastly-inflated prices

MATCH admitted that offering the packages for cash was 'highly unusual' but that it was 'permitted under the various terms and conditions'.

The company also said that Whelan was unaware that MATCH had put a block on Fofana buying any more packages or tickets.

Barucke said they had recorded 900 calls between Whelan and Fofana since the World Cup began.

Flee:
A Brazilian police investigator said they have CCTV footage of Whelan
leaving the hotel which is used for FIFA officials during the
tournament